


Stardust

by cyanidemuffin



Category: Naruto
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-07-22
Updated: 2020-07-22
Packaged: 2021-03-05 06:00:42
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,162
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25449496
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/cyanidemuffin/pseuds/cyanidemuffin
Summary: We are infinite... As the universe we hold inside... (Modern AU)
Relationships: Haruno Sakura/Uchiha Sasuke
Kudos: 3





	Stardust

**Author's Note:**

> My main account is on ffnet (Masami Aomame). I only use AO3 as a backup and often take longer to post here.
> 
> Anyway, if you’re reading here, know that I write out of my love for SasuSaku and deliberately share them on free platforms. Enjoy my fics the way you feel comfortable. You don’t OWE me any comments/kudos.

He looks around. Taking in the train station under the ghostly yellow glow of the old lamps. The deserted platforms greet him in cold apathy.

_Just like the overly crowded city._

A bitter smile graces his lips as he walks towards the exit. Not even bothering to find out the name of his late night port. It doesn't matter anyway. What matters is the fact that this is the furthest the train could bring him. From here onward, he can only rely on himself. Because it still isn't far enough.

Even though by now, he's well aware of its futility. When what he's trying to run from resides deep within. The further he'll go, it'll go with him. Like a person's shadow never leaving their side. But he tries still. He walks with his hands deep in his pockets.

.

.

.

He walks alone in the silence of the night, following the road's lead. The hazy illumination from the streetlamps mixed with moonlight filtered through the thick veil of cloud hanging from the sky makes it look like a game of hide and seek between light and darkness, known and unknown. A cat jumps from somewhere unannounced, startling him. It turns his way, grey eyes glowing, as if surprised to meet the lone passerby there at dead of night, then it turns away, going its own way, maybe chasing after a rat hiding in the dark. Leaving him alone with himself.

_Like everyone ever._

He sighs, feeling drained all of a sudden.

His eyes skim over the windows of the houses lining the street. All dark, curtains drawn, everyone is asleep. He feels irritated. Utterly irritated to his core. It's so easy for them. Days end and nights come and they fall asleep, waking up to greet another new day, leaving behind the bygone, moving ahead like it's a given. They take it for granted.

_Of course they do._

_Why would they care?_

_Why would anyone care?_

About how he lies awake on his bed, night after night, every single cell in his body screaming in exhaustion, yet not daring to give in to the temptation. Because he's terrified. Of the demons invading his dreams, baring their claws and fangs. Faceless dark silhouettes holding him down, choking him as he struggles in vain to get out of their clutches. His silent screams buried within the walls of his bedroom.

He doesn't dare to sleep. When it gets too much to bear, he just buys a random movie ticket. So that he can go take a nap at the movie theatre, with people surrounding him on every side. It doesn't make up for the hours of sleep he has deprived himself of. The borderlines getting blurry in his mind with every passing day. Between sanity and insanity, past and present. He no longer knows how long ago was yesterday, today feels like it has been here for an eternity. Time is now a paradox he has given up on. Like so many other things...

_Am I even alive anymore?_

_I know I'm not dead yet. But..._

_._

_._

_._

Something cold touches his face. Then once again. Then once again. He looks up at the sky.

_Rain._

Dark patches appear here and there on the asphalt surface as the raindrops hit the dusty road. They grow bigger and bigger, merging together as the sky keeps sprinkling water onto the earth. Within a few moments, the road is all wet, glowing in the mystifying light, as if a pathway to some wonderland.

_As if..._

_There's only this world, cruel and cold and full of pain._

The wet fabrics stick to his skin. The cold hits is body, seeping through the layers of clothing, penetrating into his bones. Sending a chill down his spine. He hates rain. The feeling of cold is like a physical manifestation of loneliness. It plagues his soul. Reaching deep down and pulling out the thick scroll he's been trying his best to bury away, spreading it out in front of his eyes, the never ending list of all his faults, flaws.

_I'm sorry Itachi..._

_I'm sorry Mom..._

_I'm sorry Dad..._

There's a loud roar of thunder as he mumbles his apology, the rain washes away the streak of tears from his cheeks. He pulls the hood over his head. Not like it provides him any real protection from the rain, but at least the stings of water cannot assault him directly. And he keeps walking with his head down.

He doesn't particularly notice where the residential area ends. By the time he does, the lampposts are his only company on his way. His legs keep moving. Not to take him anywhere, but to have something to do.

.

.

.

Across the road, a bus stop catches his attention. An empty shade lonely in the night like it has been abandoned by humanity ages ago, the half discoloured sign board saying BUS STOP standing like a ghost in the pale light of the streetlamp. It feels somewhat strange. For a bus stop to exist here in the middle of nowhere.

Then he finds it. Right next to the bus stop, his eyes spot a bridge.

_A bridge?_

As if possessed by an invisible force, he heads there.

The rain gets heavier, hitting the concrete of the bridge and disturbing the surface of the river. The wind hits him harder here, unrestrained and undaunted. He can't see much ahead because of the water droplets pouring from the angry sky. The lights here are far apart, allowing clusters of darkness to form in between. He walks. Like it comes so naturally to him. He doesn't think, just walks.

He stops in his tracks when he sees a movement in the darkness in front of him. Squinting his eyes, he tries to figure out what it exactly is. The darkness moves again, a dark figure just like those in his dreams. His heart starts hammering against his ribs so hard and fast it hurts, body trembles like tiny grasses in the wind, he breaks into a sweat standing under the pouring rain. A scream threatens to erupt from his throat. Did the monsters get loose and escaped from the realm of dreams to hunt him down in reality? Or is he dreaming again?

_Am I awake? Or am I asleep?_

He suddenly cannot remember. His brain freezes, he starts to suffocate, lungs screaming for air as he starts to feel dizzy; right at that moment...

There's a flash of lightning. Bathing the world in bright white light for a fraction of a second.

_Bright!_

Way too bright for his eyes to keep up with.

_Pink?_

_And... green?_

_Was that... a woman?_

_A woman!_

_A woman?_

_Here?_

_At this hour?_

Is he starting to hallucinate even outside his bedroom now?

He notices the sudden disturbance in the darkness, something happening, something...

Then as the next lightning flashes, he sees her getting away. Wet pink hair covering her back, a bicycle moving away...

**Author's Note:**

> This fic was gonna be my SasuSaku Month special fic but because of certain events, I wasn't in the mental state to write. Then one day Mr. Ryan O'Neal replied to my comment on Instagram and I suddenly felt so motivated, I could write again. This fic is heavily and by that I mean HEAVILY inspired by the album Atlas: Space by Sleeping At Last (Ryan O'Neal). It's my favourite album from him and it resonates with me in an almost eerie way. The fic summary is from the song Sun of the same album. I've actually wanted to write this fic since last December but I didn't know how exactly to go about it. But now I'm ready. This is that one story I want to write at any cost before I die. As you can probably already tell, this story is gonna be a little dark. But overall the tone will be positive. It's about learning to live with the darkness within.
> 
> Also, I'm starting it today because it's our favourite boy Sasuke's birthday.
> 
> Take care,
> 
> June 🍅  
> [23.07.2020]


End file.
